Improvement in water-wheels



tihuirt lai/ent @tithe Letters Patent, No. 109,685, dated November 29, 1870.l

IMPROVEMENT I WATER-WHEELS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and part of the same.

I, WILLIAM A. Tuteur, ot' Bristol, in the county of Hartford and State ot' Connecticut, have iuventeda new and useful Improvement in \Vater-\Vlleels, ot' which the fbllowing is a specification.

My invention consists of theeniployment ofa single disk, provided with axle and buckets, so as to form a motor-wheel, in combination with a slotted wheel-race, as hereinafter described; also, in the construction and combination of the various parts, as hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawing- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a'wheel undv wheelracc of my invention;

lligure 2, a vert-ical section ofthe sume, on line 1.1',

Figure 3, a front elevation of the race, with the wheel removed;

Figure 4, a side elevation of a modification of the same,

Figure 5, a vertical section of iig. 4, online Figure 6, a side elevation ot' another modification of the same; and

Figure 7, a top view ot' one of the buckets used iu the modification shown in lig. (i.

A designates the wheel, and

B, the wheel-racc.

The wheel is composed of a disk, (l, providedon both sides with buckets or pistons a. These. buckets arc curved, their outside beinga sector of the periphery of the diskO.

Arms I), of sui'licient strength to support the buckets a, and extending an equal distance with said buckets from each side of the disk l, are rigidly secured to said disk. 'lhe arms?) are also sectors of the same circle as the buckets a, and when taken together, as, the buckets are thrown out-ward, brm an annular rim upon each side of the disk C.

The buckets (t are pivotcd or hinged upon one end or side to the arms l), as shown at c, fig. 1, while the other end of the buckets d and -the adjacent sides ot' the arm b are beveled to prevent the buckets being swung outward beyond the edge ot' the disk G.

'lhe pen-stock or wheel-race B, which, when combined with wheel A, is inclosed upon all sides, except at its mouth (Z and dischargea, is provided with a T' shaped slot, 71, upon its front side or end, immediately above its discharge e, (see The wheel A, innig by its shaft I) in any proper manner, revolves through the wheel-race B and operates as follows:

When revolving rapidly,'the centrifugal force will throw the buckets which are outside of the wheel-racc outward, so as to meet the arms l); but when the wheel` moves slow, as in starting, the upper buckets may tall, as shown in ii". 1... 1 thereforeplace the guard t',

tig. 1, upon the front of the wheel-race in such manner as to engage the under side of each bucket a, and cause them to close upon the arms i) and enter the T-shaped slot h as one continuous rim.

The wheel should be true and round, and fit-ted so closely to the T-shaped slot hthat but little water willeseape thereat.

As the wheel A enters the wheel-race the water causes the buckets a to swing inward until their ends strike the stops 7.', (see broken lines, fig. 1,) in which position said buckets will fill the discharge end ofthe wheel-race B, the whole weight of the water forcing them through the same.

As each bucket passes out of the wheel-race the weight of said bucket and the centrifugal force causes them to again close upon the arm, b, and so ou, as before described.

The number of buckets should be so proportioned' to the size 'ot the wheel and the length of that portion ofthe wheel-race nearthe discharge end which the buckets till as to insure said port-ion of the race being filled by at least one bucket in any position that the wheel may assume.

'lhc wheel-race B from its mouth d is widened as it approaches the wheel A, in order that the agitation ot the water may be less at the point by which thebuck cts enter than atthe other parts of said race, whereby thc buckets a will assume their position before entering the main current, and thus avoid a violent concussion in striking the stops 7:, which would otherwise occur.

The interior of the wheel-race B, from its discharge e inward, should be of such size as to be iilled by the buckets for a distance a little greater than the distance from bucket to bucket of the wheel used.

In the modification shown in figs. 4 and 5, stat-ionary buckets al are attached to the disk C, which disk vC fills the straight slot 71. of the wheel-race B. This style of whcelshould be of such size that its buckets will cnterthe race above the level of the water. These buckets enter through an opening in the top of the race and pass on through thev iuclosed portion of the same, being forced by the whole weight of the water.

rlhe modification shown in tigs. 6 and 7 is another style of oscillating buckets or pistons, in which the disk C and slotted wheel-race B are retained.

Circular openings are formed through the disk C,

in which openings bucket-disk a2, ot the same thickness asflisk C, are pivoted in such manner that, when turned parallel with disk G, they will the circular openings in the same and thus forni it into a'solid disk.

Upon the inner end of the shaft or pivot on whichl a2 to be parallel with the disk C as t-hey enter the wheel-race B, and to be transverse with said disk a little previous to their discharge from said wheel-race, as shown respectively at 1 and 2. Only four buckets a? are shown, but in use a greater number would be desirable, unless the race was made longer.

'.lhe wheel-racefB in this figure is aeurved cylinder, the interior of which is the same size as the periphery of the buckets a", and on its front is a straight; slot, which is filled by the disk G.

Mymprovement, when arranged with 4either style ot' oscillating ,buckets above described, may be run either wholly or partly submerged, and upon a hori zontal or vertical shaft, as may be desired.

By constructing the wheel of a single disk, as described, I am enabled tol cause the buckets to run through an inclosed wheel-race, whereby the whole weight of the water is directly applied.

By the oscillating buckets I produce a wheel having but little back action, and which may be drren`by water or steam, especially a modification similar to that shown in tig. 6, or for the purpose of transmitting power at a distance by compressed air.

In case of either style, figs. l or 6, is propelled by au elastic duid, it would be best to regulate the supply by a cut-oi, operated from the wheel in such manner as to bring the f ull pressure to bear on each bucket or piston in succession as it enters that part of the race which it fills or closes on assuming itstransverse position, and, after forcing the piston along the race or -cylinder a. proper distance, cut olf the supply, when the piston will be driven from such point outward bv the expansion of the motive fluid.

' lo equalize the pressure and give perfect steadiuess of power and motion, the size of wheel and number of' pistons might be such as to allow the use of more than one race or cylinder, so al-ranged that while the piston'in one is subject to direct pressure in another, it will be driven by expansion, and clica corsa.

Invthe forms of wheel in which oscillating. buckets are used, il run with a rapid motion, itrmight be desil-able to increase the number of buckets, either by making them smaller or by enlarging tbe wheel, so that the power may be applied by means of two or more races at eqni-distant portionsI of the wheel, to balance the powerv and equalize the wear of the journals; and in 'case morethan one race is used with a wheel similarv to that shown in lig. 1, the circularportion of the side of the race toward the wheel might be formed of theaxle of the wheel made of' suitable size and furnished with stops for the buckets, the pressure upon one side ot' said axle being counterbalanced by a similar pressure upon the other side, thus preventing undue strain upon the journals.

l I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of 4the disk G, provided with buckets' a, with the slotted wheel-race B, combined and operating together, substantially as described and for the purpose set fort-h.

2. The combination of the wheel-race B, provided with its T-shaped sloth, disk O, stopslr, buckets n,

-and arms b, the whole combined and operating together, substantially as described.

3. So combining the disk C and oscillating buckets a that said buckets, with Atheir adjacent parts and the disk C, shall enter the slot in the wheel-race as one continuous solid piece, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

VILLLAM A. TERRY.

Witnesses C. A. SHmfAnn, J AMES Smnnxnn. 

